Gone are the days when SUVs had to be big, bulky and overbearing. The trend these days is to downscale to baby SUVs, of which the Renault Duster is a prime example.
On the styling front, while some competitors have rounded edges, the Duster boasts a chunky and rugged appearance thanks to oversized headlamps and square lines.
The utilitarian charm continues inside, where the Duster has hard plastics, practical cloth upholstery and easy-to-decipher layout are hard, colours are bland and there. There is, however, lots of standard features, including air-conditioning, front, side and curtain airbags, electric windows, electric mirrors, central locking, parking sensors, 16-inch wheels, CD/MP3/USB/radio with Bluetooth connectivity, navigation and steering column-mounted audio controls.
Rear passengers complained of limited legroom, but boot space is good at 296 dm3 and the utility room measured 1 128 dm3.
Under the bonnet lies an 80 kW 1,5-litre dCi engine that delivers a stout 240 N.m. Drive is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. This combination works well, although the gearshift is a touch notchy. The torque peaks at 2 500 r/min and peters out soon after, so initial pull-away can feel laggy. Keep the Duster in it’s optimal torque band, however, and overtaking acceleration is a doddle. CAR testers noted that the unit is sufficiently refined, though there is surprising amounts of clatter at idle.
We can’t fault the Renault Duster’s well-damped ride, which easily smoothes away scars, while the handling is decent (although it does feel quite top heavy in vigorous cornering).
Being 2WD, this Duster won’t perform as well off the beaten track as out AWD long-termer but, thanks to its ride height and impressive approach and departure angles of 30 and 35 degrees, it should prove capable on rutted roads and gravel. The ABS and ESP-equipped brakes helped to achieve a decent average braking time of 3,07 seconds.
TEST SUMMARY
If you’re looking for a smooth-riding vehicle with the appearance of an SUV but at a fraction of the price of full-sizes ones, the Renault Duster takes some beating. Its utiliterian roots can grate at times − NVH control isn’t a good as in the Ford EcoSport, for example − but this is easily compensated for with the best standard specification this side of R300 000.
That said, the AWD model is an equally comfy commuter (though its steering is somewhat heavier), with the added appeal of four driven wheels for adventurous weekend excursions.
